We're going to be in 1 John this
morning and other places. I'm not used to putting titles
with lessons, but the title of this lesson would be, What is
Righteousness? And we're going to see what the
Scripture has to say about that in sum. In 1 John, the first
chapter, I'd like to read the first ten verses. It says, that
which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our
hands have handled of the word of life. For the life was manifested,
and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that
eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested
unto us. That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with
us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his
Son, Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto
you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which
we have heard of him and declare unto you, that God is light and
in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship
with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth.
But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ,
his son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned,
we make him a liar and his word is not in us. And so a couple
of things to start with, that John is saying that in all of
scripture that we have, this is true, but he's saying that
which we have seen, verse three, which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with
us, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son,
Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto
you, that your joy may be full." that's a good reason that God
has given this word to John to write unto his people, it says,
to declare those things they have seen and heard, and just
above that, he says, we've handled, we've seen the word of life,
speaking of the Lord himself, and it was in their midst, and
they had firsthand knowledge and firsthand dealings with him
as the word. And it says that these things,
based on that, and our fellowship that we have with him, write
unto us that your joy may be full. It's a good book to read. And it's not a, as you read some
of these things, it looks almost like a checklist, but it says,
hereby we know how we stand in different things. A lot of times
you say, well, It's like the Ten Commandments, or any of the
commandments in that regard. You don't have to go down very
far, and you'll see that it's a little bit tough to do, and
the point of it, it's impossible to do. Man can't fulfill those
things that are needed. to not only to reassure us, but
to put life in us. It's not a how-to book of, if
you do it like this, that's where you end up. And we're going to
look at several things. And he said, that our joy may
be full." And then the five verses that we're going to kind of base
our looking into around this morning is verse 5 through 10,
and especially there where it says, this is the message which
we have heard of him, and declare unto you that God is light and
in him is no darkness. And then it says, if we say we
have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and
do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as
He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood
of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." That's a pretty
good couple, three verses there of what that has to say, and
that's what was being declared, as it says here, and that which
the message they've heard is God is light and there's no darkness
in Him. And apart from Him, there is no light. He is light, and
there's other sources of light. We're going to look at several
passages dealing with that, but He is light, and in Him is no
darkness. Let me move my notes a bit. If people say that, and people
do say that, there's more than one path to God, and you can
get to God in heaven, and the path that works for you. And
if we say, and as people say, that we are saved, or we are
God's people, and we walk in the light, as it says, it's a
lie. It's not, we can't say that and
then, and then deny what the Scripture had to say or add to
it or take from. And also anything that takes
away from here that God is light and in Him is no darkness, And
the only way we can have fellowship with the Father and with His
Son, Jesus Christ, is that He reveals to us that light. We
can't get, it's not Him and something else, or it's not, we do part
of it, He does part of it, it's all of Him. And anything that
that degrades that, that God is in that position, and either
lowers God or raises us is not correct. It's a lie. And by nature,
unregenerate man believes he's right with God or can get right
with God. because what we think we do is
right. Our innate goodness will do,
and by nature, that's what man believes. They believe you go
to a funeral or you go to a lot of different things, and the
remarks made about natural man invariably is, well, he lived
a pretty good life. That's not a bad thing, but that's
not that's not what's required is living a good life. And that
doesn't bring us any closer to God because we lived a good life
on earth here as Ed's goodness. And what we consider man considers
good, it's not what God considers good. It's not according to the
light that he had. Looking at a spot, a couple of
spots, but in Luke chapter 18, We've been through this ground. Mike was here a couple of times, a
couple of lessons in this particular spot, but in Luke chapter 18, and reading down from verse nine,
you'll recognize this section about a few verses, the publican
and the sinner, it's called, or the Pharisee and the publican,
rather. And it says, verse 9 in Luke
chapter 18, it says, And he spake this parable unto certain which
trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others.
Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and
the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men
are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast
twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess. and the publican standing afar
off would not lift so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote
upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner or
the sinner. I tell you this, I tell you this
man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone
that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted." And a couple of thoughts here that
were mentioned before is the Pharisee, and the Pharisees are
often typed as what natural man is like, and indeed that's a
true statement by all men by nature. but as he stood and prayed
with himself and pointed out how righteous he was in his eyes
towards God, in front of God, thank God that he wasn't like
anybody else, and the publican, on the other hand, prayed for
God to be merciful to him, a sinner. And the publican, I mean, the
Pharisee obviously did not see himself as a sinner because of
because of all the things that he had done and does do. Those things that the Pharisee
claimed as his position to stand before God are not bad things. I'd rather have a good neighbor
than a bad neighbor, believer or not, I would rather
have one that was a good neighbor than one that's not a good neighbor.
And so those things are not, That's not righteousness, and
that's not what justifies us by pointing to ourselves, to
God, how good we are. That we'll see, and that's not
the attitude that God's people have, and that He reveals to
us what we are. And as it says here, the publican,
it said, went down to his house justified. rather than the others. Everyone that exalteth himself
shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
And a couple things there, they said he went down justified.
He was in God's eyes pretty good standing. He was justified. He
was as a just person in that. And that wasn't because by nature
he was a better man than the other. That means by nature God
And God's doing showed him that he was a sinner. And as it's
been pointed out many times, God's people, as he works in
his people, is, to me, the sinner. And not just the sinner in we
do bad things, but God reveals to us that by our nature we are
that. Whether we do good things as
man seeds them or not, the inward man is not that just by doing good things,
that's that man that God creates, as we're gonna see a little later.
And they both, it shows what these people, these two both
thought of themselves in front of God, and that the one felt
that he had earned a spot there and was pretty proud of it, and
the other was not very proud of his situation. and by nature. And it says that the one went
down to his house justified rather than the other. And it's not, again, it's not speaking
here about physical things or physical sins that are done.
It's the person, it's the nature that is the issue and is the
problem. There are some very upright men, as you would look
at them on the outward, that do some pretty nice things for
others and for their community or whatever, that are not believers,
and that does not justify them before God. And the publican,
as it says here, he prayed to God for mercy on who he was,
and that's a revelation from God to his people. In Luke chapter 16, just back
a little bit. In Luke chapter 16. Verses 15 through 17 it says,
verse 14, the Pharisees also who were covetous heard all these
things and they derided him. And he said unto them, ye are
they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your
hearts, for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination
in the sight of God. The law and the prophets were
until John. Since that time, the kingdom
of God is preached and every man passeth into it. And it is
easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the law
to fail." And here, particularly, as it says up here, you are they
which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed
among men is abomination in the sight of God." And so righteousness
is not man justifying himself before God. That's not righteousness. That
is natural man presenting himself before God and thinking he's
all right. And the only way that we see that we are not right
is by God revealing that to us. Otherwise, we're the same as
the Pharisee there. And I don't remember who it was,
but somebody that we know has said it had been repeated a couple
of times, that we're all recovering Pharisees. And that's a fact.
All of God's people were like the Pharisee. And before he reveals
himself to us and what we are like, if somebody would have
asked us if we are righteous or just before God,
we would have said, well, yeah, I do pretty good things. We've not even seen the issue.
And so that's all from God revealing himself to us. We are all like that by nature.
And Isaiah, turn to Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 28. Isaiah chapter 28. Let's see
here. starting with verse 14, and this
isn't the first time or the first spot in Isaiah that these issues
come up or these thoughts come up, but Isaiah 28, starting with
verse 14. It says, Wherefore, hear the
word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which
is in Jerusalem, because ye have said, We have made a covenant
with death, and with hell are we at agreement. When the overflowing
scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us, for we
have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for
a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone,
a sure foundation. He that believeth shall not make
haste. Judgment also will I lay to the
line, and righteousness to the plummet. And the hail shall sweep
away the refuge of lies, and the water shall overflow the
hiding place." So he's saying that by nature, man has said,
well, we've made a covenant We've made a covenant with death, and
with hell we're in agreement. Everything's going to be fine.
When the end comes, we're going to be okay. And when that, as
it says, when the scourge shall pass through, it's not going
to bother us. And we've made lies our refuge. Under falsehood
have we hid ourselves. They don't say that in that many
words, but that's what it is when the Scripture in the gospel
is preached in non-regenerate man. He's okay. And it says, judgment also will
I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, and the hail
shall sweep away the refuge of lies and the water shall overflow
the hiding place." He said, I'm going to lay to the line and
righteousness plummet. Here's the straight line. Here's
righteousness. You're kind of like this or kind
of like this. You're not even the same plane
that righteousness is. And he says, you want to compare
your righteousness to righteousness, there's going to be an issue.
And it says, your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and
your agreement with hell shall not stand when the overflowing
scourge shall pass through. Then ye shall be trodden down.
It says you might have an... you might think you're in a pretty
good situation here. And what you see as agreement
with death and hell, because you're contrary to what the word
of God says, it says it's not going to... you're going to come
up... you're going to be in a bad spot. And it says, from that
time, verse 19, from the time that it goeth forth, it shall
take you. By morning, by morning shall it pass over, day by day
and night. It shall be a vexation only to
understand the report. For the bed is shorter than a
man can stretch himself on it, and the covering narrower than
he can wrap himself in it. That's a pretty good description
of righteousness of man. In fact, there's not even a cover
to stretch, but as it says here, the bed's too short. The bed's
too short for the man and he can't cover himself with the
covering. And that is a perfect description of what our view
of righteousness is and how we stand. And that's the best we can do. That's
the best we can do. Natural man, when it comes to
spiritual things, There's nothing there. It's empty, dead. And
anything that we try to come up with answers to things is
going to be wrong every time. There's no truth in it. There's
no light in it. And that's all it can be. In
Isaiah, again, chapter 65. Isaiah chapter 65. It says here, above that, it's speaking
of people that it says here, verse
two, actually, I spread my hands all the day unto a rebellious
people, God speaking, walketh in a way that was not good after
their own thoughts, a people that provoketh me to anger continually
to my face, that sacrifice in gardens and burneth incense upon
the altars of brick. which remain among the graves,
and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth
of abominable things is in their vessels." And verse 5, which
say, Stand by thyself, come not near me, for I am holier than
thou. These are a smoke in my nose,
a fire that burneth all the day. And we see pictures of where
we're at in Numbers and other places of what Israel is like,
and a picture of, sometimes a picture of the church as his people,
and sometimes just a picture of natural man. And we see the
things that God has done there in Numbers. And previous to that,
you say, boy, how could you see that stuff and not, recognize
something's pretty good here, natural man cannot see it. The eyes cannot see that, the
ears cannot hear it. We just stay as it says here,
come not near me, I'm holier than thou. And that's our view
of who we are in God's sight by nature. We don't just think
that we're not quite good, we think that we're holier than
God is or holier than the people that bring the scriptures to
us. In Matthew chapter 9, go to Matthew
just for a minute. Matthew chapter 9. Matthew chapter It says in Matthew 9, verse 9,
it says, And as Jesus passed forth to the fence, he saw a
man named Matthew sitting at the seat of custom. And he said
unto him, Follow me. And he rose and followed him.
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold,
many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his
disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples,
Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard
that, he said unto them, they that behold need not a physician,
but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that
meaneth. I will have mercy and not sacrifice,
for I am not come to call righteous, but sinners to repentance. As he said, the ones that are
not sick in their own eyes don't need a doctor. And those that
are righteous in their own eyes sure don't need the righteousness
that the Lord provides to His people and is to His people.
And that's ever going to be the case. It ever is the case. And
it being that way, it gives God's people quite a leg up and a head
start on when the word is preached to unbelievers, you know what
the reaction's gonna be, barring God changing that person. It
should never be a surprise to us when natural man doesn't get
excited about the preaching of the word and look back on our
own selves and what we were like if we can recollect the first
time we heard the gospel preached and what it meant to us or didn't
mean to us. And by nature, That's what we are like. And
once again in Luke, in Luke chapter 7, and Luke chapter 7, starting in verse
36. It says, And when the Pharisees
desired him that he would eat with them, he went into the Pharisees'
house and sat down to meet, speaking of the Lord. And behold, a woman
in the city, which was a sinner when she knew that Jesus sat
at meet, in the Pharisees' house brought an alabaster box of ointment
and stood at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash
his feet with tears, and to wipe them with the hairs of her head,
and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when
the Pharisee, which had been him, saw it, he spake within
himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have
known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him,
for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto
him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee, and he saith,
Master, say on. There was a certain creditor,
which had two debtors, The one owed 500 pence, and the other
50. And when he had nothing to pay,
he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of
them will love him most? And Simon answered and said,
I suppose he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou
hast judged rightly. Then he turned, verse 44, then
he turned to the woman and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman?
I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet,
but she hath washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the
hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss, but this woman since
the time I came in has not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with
oil thou did not anoint, but this woman hath anointed my feet
with ointment. Therefore I say unto thee, her
sins which are many are forgiven, For she loved much, but to whom
little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto
her, thy sins are forgiven. And they, verse 49, they that
sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, who is
this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, thy
faith has saved thee, go in peace. And up here, The picture here is, as it says,
who loved most? Somebody that's been forgiven
much or someone who's been forgiven little. And he said that to the one that the Pharisee
said, Simon said, the one that forgave most. And here, as it
said, the Pharisee, as we look back in the picture of the Pharisee
and the publican, one of them didn't even see that he had anything
to be forgiven or judged for, and the publican did because,
and the difference being God had revealed that to him. Same
way with the woman here. She had revealed who she was
and who the Lord was to her, and that is is how she had, as
I said, thy faith hath saved thee. We know that the faith
wasn't something that she came of her own self with. It was
faith that was given to her to have this view of the Lord and
that she needed to be forgiven. And also that the value of who
he was to her. In John chapter one, John chapter 1, starting with
verse 6. And we've read this section many
times, but it says in John 1, verse 6, it said, There was a
man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a
witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him
might believe. He was not that light, but was
sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was
in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew
him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God. And the word was made flesh and
dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Again, John bore witness of the
light just as we see in 1 John there. He's bearing witness of
that which was shown unto him. It wasn't something that John
was coming up with or was setting out there. He was setting out
those things that Christ is the true light that were shown to
him, and he was bringing it, and God had him record that we
would have it. Something that we need to keep
in mind whenever we approach this type of thing of righteousness
or things that deal with us and with God, there's a verse that
we need to, several, but one that should come to mind, that should come to mind to us,
and it's Hebrews in chapter two. No, it isn't, just a minute,
I'm in the wrong. Chapter 12, Hebrews chapter 12. and verse 2, and it says, Verse 1 and 2, speaking about
those, the roll call of faith, as it's called in chapter 11
of Hebrews, it says, verse 1 of chapter 12, here, Wherefore,
seeing we are also compassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us light aside every weight, and the sin which
so easily beset us, let us run with patience the race that is
set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the
throne of God. For consider him that endured
such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied
and faint in your mind." But here, looking unto Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith, so we have to keep that in mind
whenever we look at these type of things that anything we have,
and we're not quite done yet, but that should be probably one
of the first and last verses or thoughts that should come
to while we're doing these things, looking into the Scriptures,
is to look unto Him. And that's what it should do,
is point unto Him as that, as our, everything as we were going
to see some more of here, but that he's a true light. And then in John chapter 3, go
back to the book of John chapter 3. Okay, in John chapter 3, couple of places. First, I'd
like to read John 3, 18 through 21. It says, He that believeth
on him is not condemned, speaking of him that believeth on our
Lord, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because
he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the
world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil
hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds
should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh
to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they
are wrought in God. Again, the Republican and the
Pharisee, the Pharisee didn't really want to have the light
shined on him because he didn't see yet an issue. the publican or the sinner, he
pleads for mercy from God and to reveal those things. And he
had already revealed to him that he was the sinner, and not just
in an action or two, but as nature. And God reveals that to his people. And then in the same chapter,
back up to verse number one of John chapter three, It says, There was a man of the
Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to
Jesus by night and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou
art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles
that thou doest, except God be with him. And Jesus answered
and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus
saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he
enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born
of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which
is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee,
Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth,
and thou hearest the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh
and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born
of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto
him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto
him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and
testify that we have seen, and ye receive not our witness. If
I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall
ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended
up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son
of Man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal
life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life." A lot of times that couple of verses
are quoted and said, there you go. They don't read before that
what the Lord had to say to Nicodemus about being born again is not
ascending to a formula. That's not being born again.
It's the Spirit that reveals and opens the eyes of man, puts
life in his people. That's the only way it can come
about. It's not as easy as saying a
few things and saying, do you believe that? And people say,
yes. A lot of places that's pushed across as salvation, and it is
not. It's not. And it says there that
we read on verse 18 and following that light's in the world, and
natural man does not like the light, does not want the light
shining. And that is If the Spirit has put and regenerated and His
people are born again, they will have no problem with the light.
That is not an issue to them. Anything that God's people say,
the record's true. By nature, this is what we are.
And without His working in us, that's where we will die and
where we will stay. verse 3, or chapter 3 and down into another, he's talking to
the disciples down here, but verse 27 of chapter 3 of John,
and it says, John answered and said, a man can receive nothing except
it be given him from heaven. and anything dealing with spiritual
life, it has to be given to us, it has to be caused to be in
us, and it's not an offering that we make a wise decision
towards, it's God's dealing with us. And then, in Ezekiel, let's go to the book
of Ezekiel, chapter 36. Ezekiel 36. And let's start with verse 21. It says, But I had pity for my
holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the
heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house
of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, I do not this for your sakes,
O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have
profaned among the heathen, whether ye went. And I will sanctify
my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have
profaned in the midst of them. and the heathen shall know that
I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified
in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among
the heathen, and gather you from all countries, and will bring
you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water
upon you, and you shall be clean from all your filthiness, and
from all your idols. I will cleanse you. A new heart
also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.
and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh. I will
give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you
and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgments
and do them. Verse 28, and you shall dwell
in the land that I gave your fathers and you shall be my people
and I will be your God. I will also save you from all
your uncleannesses. I will call for the corn and
will increase it and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply
the fruit of the tree, increase the field, that ye shall receive
no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall you remember
your own evil ways and your doings that were not good, and shall
loathe yourselves and your own sight for your iniquities and
for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this,
saith the Lord. Be it not unto you, be ashamed
and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel." And above
here, in verse that he, all the parts of these verses here that
say, I will, or will I do these things, This is the working of
God as he taught Nicodemus. You must be born from above,
by the Spirit. And here, in this passage, God's
saying this is what he will do, these things he will do. And
then I always, something that is a key point, I think, to what
God revealing himself to his people is like, and this is where
the publican comes in again, is verse 31. It says, Then shall
you remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not
good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities
and your abominations. We don't even know what we were
like without Him putting life in us so we can understand the
difference and see the difference. Then we understand what we're
like. Then as a publican, we, to God, we pray for mercy and
His mercy on us, the sinners. And, but it's God's doing that
puts us in that position, that puts us in that spot. And that, is the only way it can get done,
and the only way it's done. And then in James, just a couple
more spots, in the book of James, in the book of James chapter
one, I believe, yes, chapter one, It says here in verses 17 and
18 of chapter 1 of James, Every good gift and every perfect gift
is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with
whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. of his own
will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a
kind of firstfruits of his creatures." Every operation that is done,
as it says there in Ezekiel, as it said there in John, as
it says in the rest of the scriptures, is from above. It's from above. All these things are, it says,
cometh down from the Father of lights. And He begat us with
the Word of truth, and the Word of truth. And so, back to 1 John again. 1 John 1. It says in verse five again,
it says, then this is the message which we have heard of him and
we declare unto you, God is light and in him is no darkness at
all. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness,
we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as
he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood
of Jesus Christ, his son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves and truth is not in us. If we
confess our sins, His faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We're cleansed from all unrighteousness.
We therefore stand in Christ righteous before God. And again,
looking to Jesus Christ, the author and
finisher of our faith. And it's all done that is things
that are done for us and in our behalf and not of ourselves. So with that. Thank you for your
attention and take a quick break before Mike comes with the word. Thank you.